The Auld Triangle lyrics

by The Dubliners

A hungry feeling, came o'er me stealing
All the mice were squealing in my prison cell

And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal

To begin the morning, screw was bawling
"Get up ya bowsie! and clean up your cell!"

And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal

The lags were sleeping, humpy Gussy was peeping
As I lay there weeping for my girl Sal

And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal

Up in the female prison, there are seventy five women
And among them, I wish I did dwell

And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal

All along the banks of the Royal Canal

Song Details

The Dubliners

Writer: Unsure - first performed in public in 1954 by Brendan Behan as part of the play The Quare Fellow. There was a rumour that the song may have been written by Brendan's brother Dominic Behan, but he never credited it to himself on any recordings made of the song. In the late 1960s, the song was made famous by The Dubliners.

Brief: The song is about general life in a prison. The triangle in the title refers to a large metal triangle that was beaten every morning to wake the inmates.